STATEMENTS BY
PEMSEA MEMBER COUNTRIES AND PARTNERS: Chair
Sun Zhihui, Administrator, State Oceanic Administration, China, welcomed
participants, noting that the first Ministerial Forum in 2003 resulted
in the Putrajaya Declaration of Regional Cooperation, which endorsed the
SDS-SEA. He said that despite countries’ efforts over the past three
years, SDS-SEA implementation still has some way to go, and emphasized
that the adoption of the Haikou Partnership Agreement would signify
countries’ renewed political commitment to work cooperatively to improve
the state of the marine and coastal environment in East Asia.

Khieu Muth, Secretary
of State for the Environment, Cambodia, stated that regional issues such
as marine environmental degradation and resource depletion cannot be
solved by any country alone, but require actions in partnership. He
highlighted Cambodia’s commitment to sustainable development, and said
the Haikou Partnership Agreement represents goodwill and a commitment to
concrete actions.

Chen Lianzheng, Deputy
Administrator, State Oceanic Administration, China, emphasized the
importance of consensus and cooperation in addressing marine issues in
East Asian seas. He explained that the Haikou Partnership Agreement
proposes a three-year cycle for EAS congresses and ministerial meetings
to ensure continuity, and said that support from the Regional
Partnership Fund and the GEF is essential for effective implementation
of
SDS-SEA. Describing the Agreement as the most significant result of
the EAS Congress 2006, he reiterated China’s commitment to provide
financial and other support to
SDS-SEA implementation.

Hyong Jun Kim,
Vice-Minister, Ministry of Land and Environmental Protection, Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea, said the EAS Congress 2006 and the signing
of the Haikou Partnership Agreement would be a turning point in the
implementation of
SDS-SEA through a partnership among participating
countries, international agencies and
PEMSEA. He highlighted national
efforts to promote sustainable coastal and ocean management, including
the adoption of new laws and establishment of protected areas and
capacity building.

Masnellyarti Hilman,
Deputy Minister for Nature Conservation, Indonesia, noted that
PEMSEA
has been supporting ICRM work for many years, highlighting workshops on
habitat restoration, sanitation for fishing communities, safety and
environmental protection in the Malacca Straits, and integrated river
basin management. She called for scaling up successful demonstration
projects at the national level, and reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to
continue its participation in the next phase of
PEMSEA.

Recalling Agenda 21
and WSSD commitments on oceans and coasts, Heizo Kito, Deputy Minister
for Technical Affairs, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport,
Japan, underscored
PEMSEA’s and
SDS-SEA’s contribution to the
sustainability of the world’s oceans. He said coastal and ocean
management in Japan draws upon the same spirit of partnership, noting
projects in Tokyo and Osaka bays. On international cooperation, he
highlighted Japan’s assistance to
SDS-SEA implementation through
supporting initiatives such as the International Coral Reef Initiative,
the ASEAN Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Project, and the Southeast
Asia Fisheries Development Centre.

Noulinh Sinbandhit,
Chairman, Water Resources Coordination Committee Secretariat, Lao
People’s Democratic Republic, highlighted his country’s contribution to
the sustainable development of the Mekong River Basin, including through
the Mekong River Commission. He said his government is promoting
integrated water resources management and ICRM, recognizing links
between upstream, coastal and offshore development. Sinbandhit expressed
his government’s support for
PEMSEA and
SDS-SEA implementation through
the adoption of the Haikou Partnership Agreement.

Noting that the
Philippines is a megadiverse country with one of the world’s longest
coastlines, Angelo T. Reyes, Secretary, Department of Environment and
Natural Resources, the Philippines, underscored the importance of goods
and services provided by coastal and marine ecosystems and lamented
their degradation. He highlighted
PEMSEA as a showcase for sustainable
development of coastal and marine areas and an effective tool to promote transboundary cooperation, urging continued support in its next phase as
a regional partnership mechanism. He closed by stating that East Asian
countries have a “fighting chance” to collectively address threats to
oceans and coasts.

Eun Lee, Vice-Minister
of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Republic of Korea, stated that
his country looks to the ocean to sustain future generations, and
underscored international and regional action as a vital factor for
achieving the protection of the marine environment. He announced that
his country is in the process of establishing a trust fund to support
the
PEMSEA
Secretariat, and will continue working towards the successful
implementation of
SDS-SEA and meeting the priorities of the Haikou
Partnership Agreement.

Rosa Daniel, Deputy
Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Singapore,
spoke of the region’s crucial shipping lanes, beautiful marine species,
and wide range of coastal livelihoods. She expressed Singapore’s
willingness to continue its contribution to capacity building in areas
including wastewater management, accession to international instruments,
and preparedness and response to hazardous waste incidents, as part of
the commitment to
SDS-SEA implementation.

Estanislau Aleixo da
Silva, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries, Timor-Leste, emphasized that sustainable management of water
resources and oceans is vital for food security, and that governments,
local people and NGOs all have a critical role to play. Noting that
Timor-Leste is a young country in need of international expertise and
assistance, he expressed the hope of learning from others and working
cooperatively to benefit the region’s people and environment.

Nguyen Cong Thanh,
Vice-Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam,
said environmental management and protection have become “hot issues” in
the National Assembly in recent years, highlighting the adoption of the
Environment Protection Law, which contains a chapter on the marine
environment. He encouraged multistakeholder participation in
SDS-SEA
implementation to achieve the sustainable development of marine and
coastal areas in the East Asian region, and said Vietnam hopes to
further develop bilateral cooperation with other
PEMSEA member
countries.

He Changchui, FAO
Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the
Pacific, said that FAO recognizes
PEMSEA
as one of the most important
strategic partnerships in the region. Noting the broad areas of common
interests between the two organizations, he suggested areas of
cooperation, including: developing a code of conduct for fisheries;
promoting coastal environmental management and control of pollution from
land-based sources; and promoting prevention of, preparedness for and
response to natural disasters.

Magda Lovei, the World
Bank, said the objectives and strategy of the partnership for
implementing
SDS-SEA is in line with the Bank’s objectives and strategy.
She expressed the Bank’s commitment to supporting the partnership.

PEMSEA REPORT
ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SDS-SEA: Chua
Thia-Eng, Regional Programme Director, PEMSEA, presented on challenges,
responses, strategies and actions for the implementation of
SDS-SEA.
Highlighting the ecological and socioeconomic importance of the region’s
seas, he noted that effective coastal and ocean governance requires
long-term endeavors, enormous human and financial resources, an
integrated management approach, and cooperation at all levels. He
emphasized that
SDS-SEA is also a collaborative platform for
implementing existing commitments such as WSSD targets, the MDGs, GPA
and Agenda 21. Thia-Eng outlined the proposed structure and operating
arrangements under the Haikou Partnership Agreement, featuring: an EAS
Partnership Council including all government, stakeholder, donor and
intergovernmental agency partners; a
PEMSEA
Resource Facility to support
implementation of SDS-SEA; a Regional Partnership Fund; and partnership
operating arrangements.

Thia-Eng further
outlined future objectives and targets to measure progress in
SDS-SEA
implementation, which include:

fostering a
strategic partnership, strengthening the regional mechanism, and
promoting regional cooperation and synergies through encouraging
partners to make commitments to the Regional Partnership Fund and
develop 10-year implementation frameworks;

creating an
“intellectual capital marketplace,” intensifying capacity development,
and promoting national coastal and ocean policies through: organizing
triennial EAS congresses; developing integrated policies and programmes
in 70% of countries by 2015; scaling up ICRM to achieve a 20% coverage
of the coastline by 2015; codifying ICRM; developing core national and
regional capacities; and providing training, technical support and
scientific advice;

mobilizing
financial resources from the private sector through public-private
partnerships, project preparation revolving funds, and replicating good
practices in financing and infrastructure; and

implementing
actions on the ground to address local concerns, and measuring outcomes
and impacts through: time-bound pollution reduction targets; community
access to safe water and adequate sanitation; and triennial “State of
the Coasts” reports.

He also outlined the
programme’s transformation over the next 10 years, which includes: a
transitional phase (2007-2010) during which countries, partners and
stakeholders will develop, agree on, and commence the implementation of
a ten-year framework of partnership programmes under SDS-SEA; a
transformation phase (2010-2013), in which national policies,
legislation and programmes in coastal and ocean governance and ICRM will
be fully implemented; and a sustainable operation phase (2013-2017),
when countries and their partners will take full responsibility for
SDS-SEA implementation and long-term sustainability of the regional
mechanism. At the end of this phase, the Ministerial Forum will review
the achievements and consider the endorsement of a second-cycle
SDS-SEA
as a guiding framework for the next ten years.

In closing, Thia-Eng
said that the expected results include: increased coverage of coastal
and marine protected areas under integrated management programmes;
increased number of countries implementing national coastal and ocean
policies; physical changes on the ground, such as nutrient reduction,
habitat protection, and a reduction in use conflicts; and contribution
to ocean security in the areas of food security, environmental
sustainability and safety at sea.

In the ensuing
discussion, participants welcomed the proposed strategic approach. CHINA
suggested that the GEF provide greater support to the partnership.
Emphasizing the need for sustained financial support to
SDS-SEA
implementation and growing threats to East Asian seas, the REPUBLIC OF
KOREA urged the GEF to assign a high priority to the East Asian region
in its funding allocations. INDONESIA expressed hope that donor agencies
will cooperate in supporting
SDS-SEA implementation. The GEF briefed
participants on the status of the fourth replenishment, noting that the
expected allocation to the international waters focal area would be
lower compared to the third replenishment. He also noted that the next
GEF work programme is expected in June 2007.

JAPAN prioritized the
establishment of feasible targets to promote SDS-SEA activities in the
region based on partnerships. In response to a question on the
harmonization of
SDS-SEA targets with those contained in other
international commitments, Thia-Eng said that SDS-SEA targets had been
set based on the integrated ecosystem management targets and therefore
are not in conflict. SINGAPORE said that SDS-SEA is an integrated vision
and a collective effort to engage the industry, academia and NGOs. She
emphasized the importance of capacity building, and research &
development, expressing support for the strategy and policies embodied
in SDS-SEA.

SIGNING OF
THE HAIKOU PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT: Ministers
from 11 countries (Cambodia, China, DPR Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Lao
PDR, the Philippines, RO Korea, Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam)
affixed their signatures to the Agreement. Chair Sun Zhihui said that
the ceremony symbolizes the initiation of the Haikou Partnership
Agreement, which will enable PEMSEA
countries to be better united and
coordinated in implementing SDS-SEA. Congratulating ministers, Chen Ci,
Mayor of Haikou City, said the Agreement will promote sustainable
coastal management in the city and in the East Asian region.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXPERT GROUP MEETING

Co-Chair Aprilani
Soegiarto, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, said that the objective of
the meeting is to discuss the development of an efficient,
cost-effective and regular reporting system for the state of the coasts
at the national and regional levels to monitor progress in the
implementation of activities within the
SDS-SEA framework. He said that
the meeting is expected to produce recommendations for a reporting
system framework that can be expanded later to monitor the
implementation of the
SDS-SEA.

Russell Reichelt, Reef
and Rainforest Research Centre, Australia, reported on the results of
the Seminar on the Common Framework for the State of the Coasts
Reporting in East Asia, held during the EAS Congress 2006. Summarizing
the seminar conclusions, he said that the reporting system should:
identify a clear purpose and target audience; use simple messages that
lead to action; and develop templates that work at different scales.

Nancy
Bermas-Atrigenio,
PEMSEA, outlined ongoing efforts to develop a regional
coastal reporting framework and noted that the report is intended to
provide information to policymakers, environment and natural resource
managers and other stakeholders on: conditions of marine and coastal
resources, and trends or changes that are occurring; driving forces for
the changes; social, economic and environmental implications; and
responses to
SDS-SEA implementation. She also said that the report would
be released on a triennial basis, with the first baseline report to be
presented to the Ministerial Forum at the next EAS Congress in 2009.

The ensuing discussion
focused on: the purpose of the report; the appropriate level and target
audience; the possibility of creating a web-based interactive database;
availability of baseline and monitoring data; timeframes; and
simplification of scientific and technical terms contained in the
report. Gunnar Kullenberg, International Ocean Institute, underscored
that the report should trigger concrete action by policymakers. Some
participants suggested that the report should identify and include case
studies, rather than collating only statistical data. Nguyen Minh Son,
Institute of Environmental Technology, Vietnam, drew attention to the
need for local capacity building for reporting. Many cautioned against
duplication of already existing reports. Co-Chair Gil Jacinto,
University of the Philippines, summarized the discussion, emphasizing
the importance of reporting to monitor progress towards the
sustainability of the seas of East Asia.

CAPACITY
BUILDING FOR COASTAL AND OCEAN GOVERNANCE

Co-Chair Gil Jacinto
noted that
PEMSEA
and the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission have recently conducted a survey assessing East Asian
countries’ capacity-building needs in ocean and coastal governance,
undertaken to identify and assist with developing strategies to
implement SDS-SEA. He highlighted the two key issues: identifying
capacity development gaps that require national and international
efforts; and exploring the possibilities for a common postgraduate
curriculum in ICRM and ocean affairs in the region. Co-Chair Biliana
Cicin-Sain, University of Delaware, US, described the Nippon
Foundation’s efforts to create an international ocean governance network
to link universities, and outlined the activities of the Global Forum on
Oceans, Coasts and Islands to promote ICRM at the national, regional and
international levels.

In the ensuing
discussion, participants identified short- and long-term
capacity-building needs. Regarding short-term needs, participants
highlighted: developing a consortium to identify strengths and
weaknesses in capacity building in ocean and coastal governance; and
ï¿½on-the-jobï¿½ coaching and training for local governments and ICRM
practitioners in order to update their skills and knowledge.

On long-term capacity
building, participants addressed the lack of mid-level coastal managers
who can bridge local government knowledge and that of the academic
institutions. Creating a demand for such skills, and garnering student
interest, were also recognized as challenges. Participants further
discussed formal training on ICRM to strengthen skills and capacity at
the postgraduate level across the region, with several highlighting
existing courses such as Masterï¿½s degree programmes in marine affairs
and environmental management and their adaptability to ICRM.
Participants identified elements of training courses and competencies of
graduates, including: knowledge of ICRM and broader environmental and
natural resources management concepts; planning and monitoring;
knowledge of key international legal instruments related to the marine
environment, such as UNCLOS; familiarity with socioeconomic issues,
particularly livelihoods; and communications, negotiation and leadership
skills.

Participants further
made a number of recommendations to
PEMSEA, including: creating a
web-based repository of ï¿½ICRM knowledge productsï¿½; organizing national
and regional training courses, including on-site courses for local
governments and practitioners, as well as ï¿½training of trainersï¿½;
scaling up efforts for degree training through a consortium; supporting
training networks linking academia, NGOs and practitioners; developing
guidelines on competencies needed by ICRM managers; and conducting an
analysis of supply and demand for ICRM practitioners.

The
EAS Congress 2006 Bulletin
is a publication of the
International Institute for
Sustainable Development
(IISD) <info@iisd.ca>,
publishers of the Earth
Negotiations Bulletin ï¿½
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This issue was written and
edited by Robynne Boyd,
Andrew Brooke, Xenya Cherny
Scanlon, Kunbao Xia and
Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, Ph.D.
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Birchall. The Editor is
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